Reg Varney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reg Varney
Reg Varney in 1972
Born	Reginald Alfred Varney (1916-07-11)11 July 1916 Canning Town, England
Died	16 November 2008(2008-11-16) (aged 92) Budleigh Salterton, England
Occupation	Actor comedian entertainer
Years active	1938–1995
Television	On the Buses
Spouse(s)	Lilian Flavell ​ ​ (m. 1939; her death 2002)​
Children	1

Reginald Alfred Varney (born July 11, 1916 – died November 16, 2008) was a famous English actor, entertainer, and comedian. He is best known for playing the main character, bus driver Stan Butler, in the TV show On the Buses (1969–1973). This popular show also led to three movies. Before becoming a TV star, Varney was a performer in music hall shows. He first became well-known as factory foreman Reg Turner in the BBC show The Rag Trade (1961–1963).

Early Life and Start in Show Business

Reg Varney was born in Canning Town, which is now part of London. His father worked in a rubber factory. Reg was one of five children in his family. He went to Star Lane Primary School. After leaving school at 14, he worked as a messenger and a page boy at a hotel.

Reg learned to play the piano when he was a child. He became good enough to play for money part-time. His first paid job was at a club in Plumstead, where he earned eight shillings and sixpence (about 42 pence today). He also played in clubs, pubs, and cinemas. Later, he sang with big bands. Reg and his mother decided that performing was the right career for him.

In May 1938, Varney became a solo pianist at the Windmill Theatre. In late 1939, he married Lilian E. Flavell.

During World War II, Reg Varney joined the Royal Engineers. He continued to perform as an army entertainer. He even toured in the Far East to entertain the troops. After the war, he performed on stage in a comedy show called Gaytime. He worked with another famous comedian, Benny Hill. After that, he became a full-time entertainer, performing in many music hall venues.

Becoming a TV Star

Reg Varney had only a few small roles in films and TV before he got a big break. He was cast as Reg Turner in the BBC comedy show The Rag Trade (1961–1963). This show made him a household name. He worked very hard because he knew he was the only actor without experience from London's West End theatres.

Later, he starred in a BBC TV show called The Valiant Varneys (1964–1965). In this show, he played many different characters in front of a live audience. After that, he had another comedy role in Beggar My Neighbour (1966–1968). This show also featured Pat Coombs, June Whitfield, and Peter Jones.

The world's first cash machine, where Reg Varney made the first withdrawal.

Reg Varney made history on June 27, 1967. He was photographed making the first withdrawal from the world's first cash machine. This machine was installed at a Barclays bank branch in Enfield Town. Varney lived in Enfield at the time, and this event was great for publicity.

Varney's most famous role was as bus driver Stan Butler in the TV show On the Buses (1969–1973). To prepare for the role, Varney even tried to get a special driving licence to drive a bus on the road. However, the TV company had to hire professional drivers for those scenes because Varney was not insured to drive the bus himself.

On the Buses was so popular that three spin-off movies were made: On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), and Holiday on the Buses (1973). Reg Varney was 52 years old when the first series of the show was filmed. His character, Stan, was supposed to be around 35.

Reg Varney left On the Buses during its last season. He hoped to work on more films and other projects. After On the Buses, he appeared in one more film, The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973). He also starred in two other TV shows: a sketch show called Reg Varney (1973–1974) and another comedy show, Down the 'Gate (1975–1976). However, these shows were not as successful as On the Buses. After Down the 'Gate ended, Varney did not star in another TV series.

Later in his career, he worked as an entertainer on cruise ships. He also toured Australia with his own one-man show. He once said that after On the Buses, people mostly remembered him for that show. But he was grateful because it led to many concert tours around the world.

Reg Varney was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life on May 20, 1970. This show surprised famous people by telling their life story.

He also released several music albums during his career. These included This Is Reg Varney On The 88s at Abbey Road in 1972 and Reg's Party - Reg Varney Plays And Sings in 1973.

Later Years and Passing

Reg Varney had a heart attack in 1965 and a more serious one in 1981. He also got a severe viral infection that made it hard for him to work for three years. In 1989, he had a stroke. After this, he split his time between his home in a village near Dartmouth and a villa in Malta.

Varney moved to Devon in the late 1980s. He lived alone after his wife, Lilian Emma Varney, passed away in 2002 at the age of 87.

In his retirement, Reg Varney enjoyed painting local landscapes using oil paints. Many of his paintings were very good, and some were even shown in London.

Reg Varney passed away at the age of 92 in a nursing home in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, on November 16, 2008. He died after a chest infection.

In 2016, 100 years after Reg Varney was born, his only child, his daughter Jeanne, created an exhibition called "Before the Buses" to celebrate his life.

Films Reg Varney Appeared In

• Crock Of Gold (1948) (TV film) – Harry Pickering
• Miss Robin Hood (1952) – Dennis
• Puss in Boots (1961) (TV film) – Jolly the jester
• Joey Boy (1965) – Rabbit Malone
• The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) – Gilbert
• On the Buses (1971) – Stan Butler
• Mutiny on the Buses (1972) – Stan Butler
• Go for a Take (1972) – Wilfred Stone
• The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973) – Sherry Sheridan
• Holiday on the Buses (1973) – Stan Butler
• The Plank (1979) – Window cleaner

TV Shows Reg Varney Starred In

See also

In Spanish: Reg Varney para niños